Two skydiving incidents, one that led to injury, this summer from a single company has the District of Central Saanich asking Transport Canada to investigate.
Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor says the District will send a letter of complaint to the federal transportation regulator mainly due to the that saw tandem parachutists trapped in a tree in a heavily wooded area off Mount Newton Cross Road. Two skydivers suffered minor injuries and had to be rescued by Central Saanich firefighters and an arborist with two decades of aerial rescue training.
Windsor said council is concerned about that incident, and an earlier one this year by the same company B次元官网网址� Capital City Skydiving B次元官网网址� saying they wish to avoid any possible pattern of such incidents occurring in the drop zones, which happen to be in the municipality.
B次元官网网址淚t could be a safety concern,B次元官网网址� Windsor said in response to a B次元官网网址 Review question. B次元官网网址淚t will be up to Transport Canada to determine of the operator is complying with all of the appropriate regulations.B次元官网网址�
In an email to the B次元官网网址 Review, a Transport Canada media spokesperson stated their role is to B次元官网网址渙versee the operation of the aircraft associated with parachuting and to ensure that the companies are compliant with the Canadian Aviation Regulations and their standards. The regulations pertain to pilot licensing, aircraft maintenance, and passenger carriage. Transport Canada does not regulate parachuting or skydiving.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian Sport Parachuting Association, stated Transport Canada, oversees parachuting or skydiving safety guidelines, standards and practices.
Windsor added Central SaanichB次元官网网址檚 issue is not with any added cost to the District over their response to the skydiving incidents. He said the DistrictB次元官网网址檚 emergency personnel will respond when called, as they always do.
B次元官网网址淵es, there is a cost,B次元官网网址� he continued when pressed on the subject, B次元官网网址渂ut we tend not to break those costs out. Emergency services are there to respond when needed.B次元官网网址�
He added there may have been an added cost when the arborist was called in to help with the aerial rescue, noting that the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 budget typically has room to accommodate special requests by emergency services when required.
At the time of the June 17 incident, owner of Capital City Skydiving Bob Verret said he would investigate why the tandem skydivers ended up in the trees.
Contacted Tuesday (Aug. 1) about Central SaanichB次元官网网址檚 complaint letter, Verret said he was unavailable to comment by phone, but would do so at a later time.
Capital City Skydiving parachutists were also earlier in June of this year, while participating in the Oak Bay Tea Party. Two were taken to hospital after what Verret at the time described as a change in the wind prevented their parachutes from working properly.
